Anti-Collision Devices for Birds Prevent In-Flight Fatalities

Young Charlie Sobcov, an eighth-grader from Ottawa, loves birds. He learned that up to 500 million birds in North America die each year from flying into windows and wanted to find a way to prevent those deadly collisions. As he educated himself about birds, he learned that they see ultraviolet light a lot better than humans.

By painting a clear plastic with ultraviolet--or blacklight-reactive--paint, he was able to make decals that when placed on windows are easy for birds to see, but nearly invisible to humans. Sobcov has had good results and is further testing his invention for entry in an upcoming science fair.

Photos in the gallery show the shapes glowing blue under a blacklight.